Modesto woman accused of escaping from jail on day pass for father’s funeral
A Modesto woman who was 10 days shy of completing her jail sentence is now facing as much as three years in prison for an escape charge.
Jessica Mendoza, 41, was serving a 70-day burglary sentence in the San Joaquin County Jail and was scheduled to be released on Feb. 13, said San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Goucher.
On Thursday she received a court-ordered day pass from jail to attend her father’s funeral but did not return at the scheduled time of 8:30 p.m.
Deputies immediately began searching for her and developed information she might be in the Modesto area, according to a Facebook post by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
With the assistance from Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies, Mendoza was located around 1:30 a.m. Friday in a vehicle in the area of Briggsmore and Sunrise avenues.
She was taken back into custody without incident and rebooked on a charge of escape.
A conviction for felony escape comes with a penalty of 16 months to three years in prison.
